OUT OF FLAVOUR: Black Coffee at a press conference at Universal Studios in Rosebank on Thursday. Picture: Shayne Robinson

Black Coffee defends Tel Aviv show

By Tebogo Monama Apr 4, 2018

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All DJ Black Coffee wanted to do was share videos of his sold-out Tel Aviv show at the Easter Weekend.

Instead, he received backlash for performing in Israel. There is a cultural boycott over the occupation of Palestine.

But the artist (born Nkosinathi Maphumulo) in a tweet claimed he was unaware of the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

In a tweet, the DJ said he was in the region because he would do anything to feed his family. “Like everyone else I have rights and free will and, no, Black Coffee is not a political party. I work as an entertainer to feed my family. I will take a bullet for my family.”

Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) South Africa has criticised Black Coffee for feigning ignorance as the group said it had approached him in 2014 prior to his Tel Aviv show.

BDS SA spokesperson Kwara Kekana said: “Black Coffee is familiar with the issue of the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine. In 2014, Palestine solidarity groups reached out to him before his performance in Tel-Aviv at that time, armed with sufficient information on the issue. He chose to cross the picket line just like he did this week.

“Artists and cultural institutions that act in violation of the cultural boycott against Israel find themselves complicit in a system of normalising and whitewashing the violations of Palestinian human rights and international law by Israel.”

On Twitter, Black Coffee was criticised for boycotting Swaziland in 2011, but performing in Israel. Black Coffee said: “We can’t be happy when Swazi people are suffering. We support the call to boycott the festival and I am not going.”